MAYILADUTHURAI: Even as milling sugarcane cultivation is currently under way in Mayiladuthurai, farmers face the challenge of selling their harvest to mills in other districts due to unprecedented delay in the resumption of operation at the NPKR Ramasamy Cooperative Sugarcane Mill in Thalaignayiru. The mill has remained inoperative for the past seven years over financial losses.
Sources said the sugarcane mill would resume operation in December this year. Around 300 hectares of milling sugarcane have been cultivated in the district. Mohan, a farmer from Thalaignayiru, said, "We hope the cooperative mill in Thalaignayiru resume operations so that we could sell our produce here. We are forced to take our produce to mills in other districts like Cuddalore and Thanjavur due to the delay."
Though several petitions were submitted over the past several years for its resumption, no action had been taken until recently when the state government announced to restart its functioning. Agriculture Minister had announced in the assembly in March 2022 that a committee would be formed to examine the possibilities to resume its operations.
Subsequently, a 11-member committee had visited the mill in September. The mill once handled about 1250 to 2000 metric tons in capacity. An official in-charge of the mill said, "The mill and its milling equipment have to be revived before restarting the operations. Funds have to be allotted for the renovation. It will take at least ten months."
The district administration stated that at least 8,000 acres need to be cultivated in the district for its smooth functioning. "We are spreading awareness among farmers to increase the acreage. The cultivated area this year is more than last year. It will hopefully increase further," said J Sekar, the joint director of the agriculture department in Mayiladuthurai.